Redwood City looks for low-cost ferry terminal design

The design team behind the long-delayed ferry terminal project at the Port of Redwood City has been given a simple goal: keep the project as inexpensive as possible.

With officials still trying to cobble together the money to build the terminal, the Water Emergency Transit Authority has hired consultant KPFF Consulting Engineers to create a conceptual design for the project that can be completed with minimal funding.

Officials say a cost estimate will be clearer once the design work is done in six to nine months, though the terminal being constructed at Oyster Point in South San Francisco is expected to cost $26 million.

“We’ve given them direction to be as cost-efficient in their design as possible,” authority planner Michael Gougherty said. “It certainly won’t look anything like the Vallejo terminal or the downtown San Francisco ferry terminal.”

KPFF is being paid $250,000 to design the Redwood City project, part of a regional plan to triple ferry service in the Bay Area. Required elements include bicycle facilities, fare collection equipment and protection from the elements for passengers.

Gougherty said residents will have a chance next year to give their input into the design, including whether the terminal should be a closed building or simply a covered platform. Officials say the earliest the project could be approved is likely 2012.

Water commute

Projected trip times:

Redwood City to San Francisco Ferry Building: 47 minutes

Redwood City to East Bay: 45 minutes

Projected ridership:

1,420 daily passenger trips between Redwood City and San Francisco by 2025